This item presents information about global warming, ozone depletion, and acid rain. Includes great graphics.
During the first kinetics lecture, we traced the efforts of atmospheric chemists to explain the depletion of ozone in the upper atmosphere. (The powerpoint slides have been posted on Blackboard for your review.) U2 spy planes gathered much of the initial data that linked ClO in the stratosphere to the ozone depletion. The data collected during these flights showed the concentrations of various chemical species in the stratosphere, but did not measure how fast the processes were occurring. To determine the kinetics (rates) of ozone depletion reactions, chemists perform controlled laboratory studies. In this homework, we will interpret data obtained from such laboratory experiments to study the ozone depletion reaction.
During the winter of 2000, Arctic ozone levels reached their lowest point in eight years at an altitude of nearly 60,000 feet. Concentrations dropped more than 50 percent from average.
This animation shows the total ozone as measured by Earth Probe TOMS since the earliest measurements by that instrument. Days for which the instrument collected little or no data are skipped.
This lesson is designed to help students gain knowledge in using the MY NASA DATA Live Access Server (LAS) to specify and download a microset of data, then to use the data to investigate stratospheric ozone (ozone hole in particular). Using the LAS, student-groups will download a microset of stratospheric ozone data collected by the SAGE III instrument for a particular location. They will also plot a microset of field-campaign data used for validation. The two sets of data will be plotted using a graphing calculator, and analyzed for correlation between the two microsets. The lesson provides detailed procedure, related links and sample graphs, follow-up questions and extensions, and Teacher Notes.
